Jack The Giant Killer

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_Bad Boy's Version_.

  Tell you a story--an' it's a fac':--
  Wunst wuz a little boy, name wuz Jack,
  An' he had sword an' buckle an' strap
  Maked of gold, an' a "'visibul cap;"
  An' he killed Gi'nts 'at et whole cows--
  Th' horns an' all--an' pigs an' sows!
  But Jack, his golding sword wuz, oh!
  So awful sharp 'at he could go
  An' cut th' ole Gi'nts clean in two
  Fore 'ey knowed what he wuz goin' to do!
  An' _one_ ole Gi'nt, he had four
  Heads, and name wuz "Bumblebore"--
  An' he wuz feered o' Jack--'cause he,
  _Jack_, he killed six--five--ten--three,
  An' all o' th' uther ole Gi'nts but him:
  An' thay wuz a place Jack haf to swim
  'Fore he could git t' ole "Bumblebore"--
  Nen thay was "griffuns" at the door:
  But Jack, he thist plunged in an' swum
  Clean acrost; an' when he come
  To th' uther side, he thist put on
  His "'visibul cap," an' nen, dog-gone!
  You could n't see him at all!--An' so
  He slewed the "griffuns"--_boff_, you know!
  Nen wuz a horn hunged over his head
  High on th' wall, an' words 'at read,--
  "Whoever kin this trumput blow
  Shall cause the Gi'nt's overth'ow!"
  An' Jack, he thist reached up an' blowed
  The stuffin' out of it! an' th'owed
  Th' castul-gates wide open, an'
  Nen tuck his gold sword in his han',
  An' thist marched in t' ole "Bumblebore,"
  An', 'fore he knowed, he put 'bout four
  Heads on him--an' chopped 'em off, too!--
  Wisht 'at _I'd_ been Jack!--don't you?

© James Whitcomb Riley